Join us in 2027 for the 30th anniversary of the Oscar®-qualifying New York International Children’s Film Festival, an amazing opportunity for emerging and veteran filmmakers to participate in the largest film festival in North America for kids and teens. We have a decades-long track record of sold-out screenings, enthusiastic audiences, and premiering the early work of now-renowned filmmakers like Chloe Zhao and Taika Waititi, among others.

Presented over three weekends at major venues throughout New York City, the Festival showcases approximately 100 outstanding short and feature films for ages 3-18 in all genres from around the globe. NYICFF hosts premieres, special events, filmmaker Q&A spotlights, receptions, and networking opportunities for our amazing filmmakers. We regularly program films not initially created with a young audience in mind, and we encourage filmmakers to share work that may very well have expanded audience potential. Our audience is up for the challenge of artistically complex work, and our written materials, intros, and Q&As offer compelling context that sparks great dialogue around your films.

NYICFF 2026 by the numbers:
- 87 films from 97 filmmakers
- 23 countries represented in 16 languages
- 48 screening events
- 17 filmmaker Q&As

Not only do we offer an unparalleled opportunity to premiere your work in New York City, but also the chance to gain coveted Oscar® attention. NYICFF is an Oscar®-qualifying film festival for the Best Live Action and Animated Short Film categories. Our prestigious jury has included actors, directors, animators, and industry professionals Uma Thurman, Peter Ramsey, Chris Nee, Karen Rupert Toliver, Zoe Saldaña, Ira Sachs, Bob Odenkirk, Sofia Coppola, and many more. Over 30 short films selected by NYICFF have received Academy® Awards or nominations. Other Festival awards are selected by audience members of all ages, from adults to even the youngest attendees.

We also receive major press coverage and attention for our programs, including feature coverage in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Indie Wire (who named NYICFF as "a roadmap for festivals of all stripes" in 2026). Your works has the potential to receive continued recognition nationwide well after the NYC Festival wraps. Our year-round touring program, Kid Flicks, showcases a curated selection of short films from the Festival at major museums, arthouse theaters, film festivals, and community events across the country. All feature films included in our slate receive a full portfolio of audience feedback and NYICFF insights on your film’s engagement and successful connection with audience members of all ages.

Through our screenings, Q&As, industry conversations and receptions, we facilitate opportunities for engaging with the animation, film and children’s media field, and partner festivals. Recent participating studios and partner organizations include Cartoon Saloon, Crunchyroll, Toei Animation, Titmouse Animation, Sony Pictures Kids, Illumination, DreamWorks, Children’s Media Association, Dandeloo, HBO, Women in Animation, and Sesame Workshop. We foster inclusive practices in the field and seek expanded access for talented filmmakers to grow. We especially want to encourage submissions by filmmakers of color and from under-represented communities that feature thematic programs such as Girls’ POV, Celebrating Black Stories, Hola Cine and more. Film reflects your artistry, a distinct vision, a record of a time. It opens eyes and possibilities, especially key in our young audiences, and sparks meaningful dialogue--all of which has never been more vital than now. Thanks, filmmakers, for being the visionaries that you are. We can’t wait to see—and share—your work.

PLUS: the 2027 edition of NYICFF we will celebrate our 30th Anniversary! For three incredible decades, our festival has brought together artists, storytellers, dreamers, and audiences of all ages passionate about film and media for kids. To mark this milestone, we’ll be hosting special events celebrating the legacy of the festival—featuring unforgettable moments you won’t want to miss.

NYICFF is an Academy Award®-qualifying festival. Recipients of the NYICFF jury prizes are eligible for consideration in the Live Action Short and Animated Short Film categories of the Annual Academy Awards®. All in-competition selections, both short and feature, are voted on by our audience and are eligible for our Audience Awards.

Jury Awards
- Best Animated Short Film
- Best Live Action Short Film

Feature Film Awards
- Grand Prize Feature Award, Animation
- Grand Prize Feature Award, Live Action

Short Film Awards
- Audience Awards (ages 3+, 5+, 8+, 10+, 12+, and Grownups Award)
- Grand Prize Short Film Audience Award (voted on by audience members in all age groups)

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL, INC.
FILM SUBMISSION TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Purpose of these Rules.

The following terms and conditions (these “Terms”) govern the submission of films to the New York International Children’s Film Festival, Inc. (“NYICFF”) for consideration for the 2027 New York International Children’s Film Festival (the “Festival”). Any questions about these Terms should be directed to programming@nyicff.org. NYICFF reserves the right to decide all questions not specifically provided for herein.

Submission and Eligibility.

By submitting a film (an “Entry”) to NYICFF for Festival consideration, the submitter (the “Applicant”) represents that he, she or it has obtained consent from any and all owners, creators, writers, producers and/or other authorized representatives of the Entry whose consent is required to submit the Entry to NYICFF (collectively, the “Film Owners”) and screen the Entry at the Festival and at associated events, in theaters or online, and has read, understood and agreed to these Terms.

NYICFF may disqualify or reject, but is not required to do so, any submission that it determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, is not in compliance, in whole or in part, with these Terms, and may do so without returning the Applicant’s submission. NYICFF designates “short films” as works with a running time of less than 40 minutes in length. Works with running times of 40 minutes or longer are designated as “feature films.” NYICFF accepts submissions throughout the calendar year. Only one version of the Film may be submitted; NYICFF will not review multiple versions of a Film. Entries received by December 1, 2026 for the short film and the feature film categories are eligible for consideration for the 2027 New York International Children’s Film Festival, scheduled for March 2027. NYICFF may accept selected late submissions in its sole and absolute discretion.

To be eligible to screen in competition, production must be completed no earlier than January 1, 2025. If the Entry contains dialogue or narration not in English, the Entry must be subtitled or dubbed in English.

If submitting a link to an online screener, please ensure that it does not expire, and provide any necessary passwords. Please upload onto your submission page any available promotional materials such as high-resolution stills, production credits, director’s biography and any additional press kit materials.Entry and entry materials will not be returned. You will be contacted by NYICFF if your Entry is selected for participation. The 2027 Festival lineup will be posted at www.nyicff.org.

Once submitted, Entries may not be withdrawn from participation in the Festival. In the event of selection, the Applicant must deliver to NYICFF an HD digital video file of the Entry by electronic file transfer or on a physical digital storage device. All costs and expenses for the delivery to NYICFF of any Entry shall be borne by the Applicant.
Intellectual Property; Grant of Rights.

By submitting the Entry to NYICFF, the Applicant and Film Owners (the “Submitting Parties”) hereby represent and warrant that: (i) the Entry is wholly original and is not copied from and does not include any other work that is the subject of copyright or other protection, unless such work is in the public domain or the Submitting Parties have obtained any and all consents, releases, licenses and other authorizations or waivers of any kind necessary for the inclusion or reproduction of any person, character, location, thing, trademark, sound recording, musical composition or other work in the Entry; (ii) the Entry does not defame any person or violate the common law or statutory rights, including, without limitation, the rights of privacy and publicity or any other right of any person; (iii) the Entry is not the subject of litigation, nor any dispute that could give rise to litigation; (iv) there are no agreements, nor will there be any agreements made subsequent to the date of the submission of the Entry that would or could have the effect of impairing the Submitting Parties’ ability to provide the Entry as contemplated herein, or otherwise conflict with any provision of these Terms; and (v) the Submitting Parties have the full right, power and authority to submit the Entry to NYICFF for Festival consideration and to grant all of the rights granted hereunder and there is no obligation or disability that would in any way impair, restrict or impede the Submitting Parties from fully performing all obligations pursuant to this submission and these Terms. The Submitting Parties agree to indemnify and hold harmless NYICFF, its licensees, successors and assigns and its and their members, officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, representatives, associates and affiliates (each a “Releasee”), from any claim, suit, action or other proceeding brought against a Releasee and from any losses, costs or damages, including the Releasee’s full legal fees, costs and expenses (including any legal fees, costs and expenses expended in connection with enforcing this indemnity), which it may have suffered or incurred or may suffer or incur, directly or indirectly based on, in connection with, or arising from the use and exhibition of the Entry submitted by the Applicant or the breach or alleged breach of any representation, warranty or other agreement made by the Applicant in these Terms.
If the Applicant’s Entry is selected for participation in the Festival, the Applicant hereby irrevocably grants NYICFF the following rights with respect to the Entry on a “free-use” no-fee basis, without reservations, conditions or qualifications: (i) the exclusive right within the greater New York City area to exhibit the Entry publicly one or multiple times during the Festival and for a period of six weeks thereafter; (ii) the right to exhibit an excerpt of the Entry on a secure streaming platform; (iii) the right to present or allow others to present excerpts of the Entry up to a total of three minutes in length in any medium for promotional purposes; (iv) the right to incorporate and use stills, art, footage, biographical material, names and likenesses from the Entry for promotional purposes and in NYICFF merchandise; (v) the right to share screener links of the Entry with the press and media for review; (vi) the right to exhibit the Entry at press and promotional screenings; (vii) the right to exhibit the film for educational use; (viii) the right to electronically duplicate the Entry for the purpose of compiling a screening master for projection; (ix) the right to make the Entry available for public exhibition at U.S. venues nationally for a period of twelve months following the Festival as part of the “NYICFF Kid Flicks” touring festival programs, "NYICFF Film Ed" programs, and/or at NYICFF-produced festival events nationally and internationally; (x) the right to share preview screener links of the Entry with NYICFF-partner presenters; (xi) the right to exhibit the Entry in an online festival, screening event, or compilation; (xii) the right to use the Entry in a limited run DVD or digital compilation to be sold by NYICFF for fundraising purposes; and (xiii) the right to retain any and all revenues from ticket sales, merchandise, rental fees and sponsorship associated with the Entry’s participation in the Festival or any associated events.

NYICFF shall use its best efforts to ensure correct title and credits are listed on Festival materials but shall not be held liable for inadvertent errors and omissions.
NYICFF reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to schedule or adjust dates and times of all film screenings at the Festival or any associated events and to shift the presentation of the Festival from theaters to an online experience if public health guidelines require.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Rui-Rung Su

    This is a wonderful film festival! I'm very glad that my film Mole, mole! had its international premiere at NYICFF. Thank you for the opportunity to share my animation with children! I hope to attend in person with my new short film in the future ✨🌷🌟

    April 2025
  • Tomohiro Uchiyama

    Great film festival. Very well-organised.

    March 2025
  • Such a lovely festival, and incredibly meaningful for our film to play here specifically to the audiences it was made for!

    March 2025
  • The best festival and the best experience

    March 2025
  • I't was a great honor to be part of this festival. Thanks for this!

    March 2024